2025: The Year We Built Bridges to the Future of Work

As we wrap up 2025, I keep returning to the same thing. This year moved our industry forward because our people, our clients, and our partners did. They showed up. They asked hard questions. Together we pushed the work forward in ways that made every solution sharper and every conversation more meaningful. And that’s a challenging thing to do during times of uncertainty and rapid change.

Across talent acquisition, employer branding, and recruitment marketing, nothing stayed still. New tools arrive all but weekly. Expectations keep rising. The ground shifts more times than I can count. But the real story was beyond innovation and AI. It was about the conversations happening around it. The collaboration. The problem-solving. Everything around us will evolve, but relationships move the work forward. From our experience, this industry runs on relationships and the way we learn from one another, experiment with new technology, implement new approaches, and explore solutions that help talent and employers connect in better ways.

This year, our team had the privilege of showing up in ways that reflected that belief. We partnered with events and communities across the globe, including TA Week, I Am Phenom, Unleash America, IPMI Talent Acquisition Institute, NAHCR, HR Florida, RL100, RecFest, TAtech, Indeed FutureWorks, HR Tech, World Employer Branding Day, LinkedIn Talent Connect, and AfroTech, learning, listening, and sharing ideas that continue to shape what’s next.

Inside Shaker, this year brought meaningful steps forward, all grounded in what our clients need from us. We kicked off the year with the acquisition of JobAdX, bringing greater transparency to the programmatic landscape and creating a strong roadmap for future innovation. Our recent acquisition of exaqueo powers us to deliver an even more strategic, holistic approach that stretches across the full funnel, from uncovering authentic employer brand insights to bringing those brands to life across every touchpoint of the talent journey.

This year, we continued to invest in resources that give the industry greater insight and connection. Our Shaker Unfiltered podcast evolved, creating space for honest conversations about the human side of work. We also released the second volume of The Vision Report, offering a collective snapshot of the trends and voices shaping talent attraction, from AI-assisted creativity to the growing demand for transparency in employer storytelling. Together, these platforms reflect our commitment to sharing what we are learning and contributing to the conversations that move our industry forward. We kicked off our 75th anniversary, which will continue throughout next year as we celebrate a legacy of innovation. It’s a milestone that represents generations of relationships and consistent evolution. At Shaker, our relationships shape everything, from how we show up for each other to how talent leaders support their teams, how employer brands connect with people, and even the way we build trust with technology.

Through every milestone and every moment, I am most grateful for the people behind them. To the Shaker team, thank you for the passion and care you bring to this work every day. To our clients and partners, thank you for your creativity, your commitment, and your partnership.

Looking forward to 2026, I feel steady and optimistic. The tools will keep changing. The challenges will keep coming. They always do, as they have for 75 years. But our focus remains on helping brands achieve excellence through work that adapts to the needs of organizations.

Thank you for your trust, your collaboration, and the conversations that shaped this year.

I wish you a healthy, hopeful holiday season and a bright start to the new year.

In partnership and gratitude,
Joe Shaker Jr.
President & CEO, Shaker Recruitment Marketing